Thursday, March 1, 2018

Since the title novella in Slash of Crimson and Other Tales is about a heavy metal band, no doubt the story deserves a killer soundtrack. Death metal comes to mind first, bands like The Absence, Dying Fetus, Arch Enemy, Amon Amarth, to name a few who would fit well. I can picture the climactic running broadsword battle on the stairwell being choreographed to The Absence’s “Dead and Gone”.

Having said that, I think if anyone were making the novella into a movie, they’d have to write some original music for the main characters’ band, The Broodbloodz, which I think would add a lot of fun to the project.

There are also scenes where a might put in some ambient gothic music or possibly dark folk-instrumental work. For the former, I can imagine some of the scenes where Drew and Desiree are parting ways being layered with songs from Nico’s “The Marble Index”, and possibly some of the scenes on the ocean an in the ruins having something by Warduna playing in the background.

It’s worth noting that in the stylized version of Portland where the story takes place, there exist more hard-rock and heavy metal venues along the waterfront than there actually are. During the time I lived there, a few did exist, and maybe there are some now, but part of the license of fantasy here is to bring into focus a music genre and a subculture that often doesn’t get appreciated for its nuance, power, and complexity as much as more popular genres do. The aesthetics and imagery of metal go very well with horror and fantasy, and I think it would be great to see more of this type of cross-pollination books and movies.

SLASH OF CRIMSON AND OTHER TALES offers two novellas and six short stories that combine an intoxicating mix of horror, crime noir, and alt-mythology. Its title story spins a dark maritime yarn about Drew Aldrin, a young guitarist and street rough, who takes a harrowing journey with a red-eyed beauty who claims she's from Atlantis. The half-dozen brutal and sardonic short stories that follow tell of lost souls tortured by demons and far worse. The final novella, Torn from the Devil's Chest, serves unsuspecting Sociology student Lyla Banes a deliciously disturbing feast of deception and trust-destroying lust. Indulge yourself in a collection that guarantees to thrill the senses while it shocks the nerves ..

CARL R. MOORE lives in upstate New York with his wife Sarah and two daughters, Maddy and Izzy. His fiction has appeared in numerous other magazines and anthologies. When he’s not writing or working the night shift, he enjoys playing guitar and walking miles through the woods. News and contact information can be found on his website, www.carlrmoore.com